Heartrate
by Kay Ross
Summary: Sakura drags Ino into a routine medical check-up. "Shush." Sakura brought a finger to Ino's lips, and Ino felt a little something knot in her stomach at the contact. "Take deep, even breaths; I'll just take out my stethoscope." Sakura frowned. "Your heartrate's too fast and your palms are sweaty. Are you sure you're okay?" Sakura x Ino / InoSaku / SakuIno YURI. Just fluff a bit.


**I'd apologize for making _another_ InoSaku oneshot but then I'm not really sorry. I planned on writing this a few days later, but the internet was broken and I was bored. When it finally fixed itself I was too sleepy to continue streaming Shippuden so I posted this instead. I hope you enjoy.**

 **It's girl on girl, for the people who haven't gotten that yet. I also don't own Naruto. Enjoy, fam!**

 **This was inspired by a post from the otpprompts** **tumblr account. The prompt was posted a month ago.**

* * *

"Yamanaka-san." A pleasant young lady gave Ino a smile. "Flowers for whom?"

Ino gave the familiar receptionist of Konoha Hospital, Kira-san, a winning smile. By now, the staff knew her for her frequent visits and check-ins, but she was also notorious for taking the time of day to bug Sakura.

"Those two idiot teammates of mine." She said with an eye-roll. "I'd be more worried if they weren't in here for upset stomachs."

The receptionist chuckled and politely gave her the room number. She paused for a moment to recall which wing the two boys would be in and promptly spun on her heel towards that direction, muttering a quick 'thank you' for the assistance. She made a mental note to ask about Sakura and pay her friend a visit later.

No later than a few seconds after turning a corner, Ino expertly stepped aside when she saw two young medic-nins emerge from the opposite end of the corridor she just entered. They were in a hurried jog –one carried a basket of what looked like potion ingredients, and the other was inspecting a clipboard. They looked so fresh-faced, probably genin, and Ino could tell from the looks on their faces that they were new and had absolutely _no clue_ what they were doing. Ino paused, over-hearing their panicked conversation.

"Don't drop anything and hurry up! Haruno-sensei will have _both_ our heads on a silver platter if we mess this up." The genin with the clipboard said, elbowing his companion lightly on the ribs.

Ino grinned, bemused. _Yup._ That sounded like Sakura, alright. Her pink-haired best friend was notorious for three particular things: her ridiculous, boulder-crushing strength, her borderline-miraculous medical prowess, and the fact that she can go from benevolent and patient peacemaker to, 'I will snap your neck with my bare hands' in a couple of minutes.

Once the kids were out of the way, Ino continued down the corridor, eyes scanning each door for the number she was looking for.

 _Ah._ Ino stopped, finding the symbol for '112'. She checked the patient information sheet plastered on the door, and upon finding the names she was looking for, turned the knob open and let herself in.

"Well, look who could be bothered to drop by." Shikamaru said lazily, looking up from a game of chess.

"You could sound a bit happier about it." Ino rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip as she gave Shikamaru a look. "Who're you playing against? Where's Choji?"

"Myself." Shikamaru said naturally. "He's up in some treatment room, apparently has to see a nutritionist."

"Again?"

"Yup, what a pain, right? He'll never listen anyway." The dark-haired boy yawned. "Hm. Looks like a check-mate. How troublesome."

"I can understand Choji, but what happened with _you_?" Ino set two white flowers into a vase which stood on the table between Shikamaru and Choji's hospital beds. She sat down on the other bed, crossing her legs and inspecting her fingernails.

"He was upset and wanted to eat barbecue all day. Someone had to keep the poor guy company."

Ino looked over to her friend who was busy trying to figure a way out of the chess trap he had set himself up in. For all his lack of care, Shikamaru was actually a pretty concerned guy deep inside. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she could appreciate that.

Before Ino could say anything in reply, the door creaked open and a familiar mop of pink hair barged in. "Shikamaru, Choji will be back after lunch. Don't forget to drink all the water we bring here, dehydration will—" Sakura, in her starched white medic's coat and all, paused. "Ino?"

"Aha, looks like I won't have to come looking for you." Ino smirked as she gave her friend a lazy wave.

"More like I won't need to come looking for _you,_ " Sakura looked pleasantly surprised. She immediately placed a prescription bottle for Shikamaru on the table, and hastily grabbed her blonde friend by the wrist. "Come with me, you've been skipping out on your medical examinations for a few months now. I'm almost ashamed to be your best friend." Sakura pulled on Ino's arm, and Ino had little choice but to comply if she didn't want the whole thing torn off of her torso.

"Hey!" Ino said with a vein popping in her head.

"I'll give her back later!" Sakura waved Shikamaru goodbye. He sighed, blinking at how fast everything happened before shrugging and returning to his game. He couldn't be bothered.

* * *

Ino's eyebrow twitched as Sakura's gloved hand peeled her left eye open. "Look at my nose." The medic-nin ordered, turning a little flashlight on with a 'click' and pointing it directly towards Ino's eye. Sakura's brows furrowed and she frowned, jotting something down on her clipboard.

"Alright, other eye." Ino observed as her friend tenderly brushed the bangs which always hid half of her face away. Sakura tucked the blonde hair behind Ino's ear, and lightly cupped her cheek. Ino raised an eyebrow, and Sakura's lips quirked up. "I'd never understand why you insist on hiding half of your face, Ino-pig."

Ino scoffed at the use of their childhood name-calling. "I don't know, _Forehead_ , I recall telling someone not to do the same when she was younger."

"Let me return the favor then." Sakura smiled genuinely, none of the usual teasing in it. "You look much more beautiful this way."

Ino, despite who she was as a person, lightly blushed at Sakura's compliment. She inhaled sharply as Sakura leaned in again, lifting the flashlight to her right eye and giving it a good look.

Sakura titled her head. "No need to be so jumpy, just a little routine check-up."

"I know, I know." Ino waved her hand dismissively, cementing her gaze onto Sakura's nose. Ino didn't know how or when, but her line of slight must have slipped a little, and she found herself looking at full, lightly-glossed lips. Ino gulped.

"That's unusual." Sakura's brows knitted once again. "Your pupils are dilated. Let me have a look at your hands." Sakura pulled her gloves off and took Ino's supple hands into her own. Sakura gently ran her thumb over Ino's palm, and Ino could feel another blush creep up her neck.

She cursed herself and her luck. Fine, she'd admit it; she may have had a _little_ crush on Sakura. But Ino would always brush it off as admiring Sakura's growth in terms of character and skillset. It was normal to feel that way about a close friend who was blooming in full-force, right? Even if the distance – or lack thereof – between herself and the aforementioned friend was enough to give Ino's breathing a little hitch. Ino silently cursed at Sakura's line of work; _of course_ she's catch the slight wavering of her breathing too.

"You're not running a fever, are you?" Sakura looked concerned. "Your palms are sweaty, and I think your breathing is becoming labored. You seemed just fine a while ago, although the temperature here is different from outside and you might just feel a little boxed-in."

"Sakura." Ino said firmly despite fighting from biting her lip. "I'm _fine._ Don't fuss."

"Shush." Sakura brought a finger to Ino's lips, and Ino felt a little something knot in her stomach at the contact. "Take deep, even breaths; I'll just take out my stethoscope."

Ino did as she was told, and Sakura promptly returned with a stethoscope in tow. Ino swallowed when she felt Sakura lay a hand on her shoulder. Something cold and metallic was pressed against the left side of Ino's chest, and the blonde licked her lips. Ino could _feel_ what Sakura was probably hearing. There was no denying the pounding in her chest.

"Your heartrate's too fast as well." Sakura declared. "This is odd, are you sure you're feeling okay?"

The blonde kunoichi resigned to the fact that it was all probably Sakura's fault. Denying it would only make her feel even _more_ agitated, and that wouldn't be good for whatever vital sign Sakura would check up on next.

"Yes, Sakura, maybe just a little flushed."

"Hm." Sakura nodded. "Turn around and lift your shirt."

"Wh—what?!" Ino shrieked

"Goodness, Ino-pig, I'm just going to listen to your breathing!" Sakura sighed exasperatedly. "Gosh, it's like checking up on a child."

"Whatever." Ino strained to even out her voice out, slightly flustered from her outburst. She was jittery and nervous. _Sakura_ was making her jittery and nervous. To be more particular, Sakura, whose hands were probing her in places and was _literally_ giving her body a good inspection, was making her jittery and nervous. Who knew this day would come for the confident Yamanaka Ino?

 _It's just Sakura. Calm the fuck down, woman._ Ino scolded herself. They've been to sleepovers and had even lent each other clothes. Sakura was one of the best medic-nins out there. This was _normal._ She turned her back on Sakura and let the other woman lift the fabric up, exposing Ino's back to a sudden chill. Ino, for the hundredth time during the examination, bit her lip as Sakura bent down, pressing her ear up against where Ino's lungs would be.

"Breath in," The pink-haired girl told her and she obliged. Ino noticed the way Sakura's light breathing could be felt against the dip of her spine. It kind of tickled. "Breath out. Okay— again?"

When Sakura was done, she seemed pleased. "No sign of asthma or any kind of tracheal or bronchial disruptions."

"Thank goodness." Ino supplied half-heartedly, more of for relief that Sakura wasn't pressed up against her bare skin anymore.

"A really good thing, yeah. You guys own a flower shop, so asthmatic reactions to allergens like pollen would have been a really bad stroke of luck." Sakura chuckled. She helped Ino smoothen out her top, and walked over to stand in front of the blonde again. "Let me just—" Sakura brought the back of her hand up against Ino's forehead. "You're warm."

"I don't have a fever, _forehead_ , calm down."

"Well it isn't warm enough to be a fever but…" Sakura bit her lip. Ino, who was too distracted by her own dilemma, began to notice that Sakura appeared to be a bit flushed and sheepish herself.

"Sakura?"

"Mm?" Sakura moved her hand to push some of Ino's stray locks behind her ear, and she was surprised to feel Ino lift a hand up to cup hers. Ino threaded her fingers with Sakura, throwing care and caution out the window. Sakura licked her lips. There was a tension that didn't exactly feel unpleasant – far from it, actually.

"So… you're done?" Ino said tentatively.

"Y—Yeah." Sakura breathed out. Ino tilted her head, shooting an inquiring glance at her friend. Sakura seemed flustered.

"Sakura?" Ino dared to speak out, feeling a bit confident when she caught Sakura staring back at her lips. "Could you check up on my eyes again?"

"Again?" Sakura pulled back. The dreamy haze on her green eyes seemed to have lifted off, and almost immediately, the professional and scrutinizing gaze returned. Sakura's emerald eyes looked back and forth between Ino's blue ones. The medic held their gaze, inching in closer, her other hand already reaching to grab the pen-sized flashlight. "Look at my no—"

Whatever Sakura had to say was cut off by Ino's lips on hers.

* * *

The very next day, Ino was back at the hospital again.

"Yamanaka-san." The receptionist, as per usual, gave Ino a smile. She glanced curiously at the elaborate bouquet which Ino held in her left hand. "Your friends have been discharged. Flowers for whom, this time?"

Ino gave her another winning smile, this one brighter than the last. "Sakura."

* * *

 **~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ OMAKE ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
**

The fresh genin ran back and forth across the hospital to find their mentor. They were finally able to gather the perfect amount of ingredients and they had prepared the laboratory equipment needed accordingly. All that was left was to find Haruno-sensei to oversee their work.

"Maybe she's back at her office? I heard from Kira-san that Haruno-sensei's been looking for Yamanaka-dono for a check-up. I think she was the lady we almost ran into at the corridor earlier."

"Right!" His friend agreed. "We haven't gone to check there."

In their eagerness, the young boys had forgotten to bother with knocking. They barged in, completely unprepared to find their mentor in a lip-lock with her gorgeous, blonde best friend.

Annoyed at the disturbance, the two women looked at the genin with daggers for eyes.

Later, when Tsunade-sama asked Sakura why there was crater on her office floor, she simply shrugged and said she would take care of it. It was _her_ office anyway.

* * *

 **To CaptJack .S : Firstly, I'd like to say thank you cause I've been seeing your reviews and they've been inspiring me to write more.**

 **I hope you all liked it! Please leave a review if you did. Also, you guys got any suggestions on what other situations we can squeeze Ino and Sakura into? I'm on a roll with these two, I really, really just love them so much and plan on riding with the momentum! Thanks to all!**


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